Part of the Global Plot to Expose Moonbats, conspiracy nuts, and anti-Semites, especially the Jewish anti-Semitic variety.
The leftwing Neo-Nazi web magazine Counterpunch has described Plaut thus: "One of the most pernicious writers is Steven Plaut, a man who could be thought of as Israel's Daniel Pipes."

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

And the Rest is History

Bear with me, if you will, for a bit of nostalgia. This will notbe my usual Plautian posting.

Today, Jan. 19, 2011, is exactly the thirtieth anniversary of theday of my becoming an Israeli.

I thought you might enjoy the telling of that tale.

I flew out of New York in an ice storm on Jan. 18, 1981, andarrived in Lod airport the following afternoon, local time. I hadcome to the "Jewish Agency" offices in Cleveland two months earlier toget set up. I entered the office of the "shaliach" or emissary forthose making aliyah. "I am moving to Israel in two months," Iannounce. "No, you can't," he explains, "There is just not enoughtime to get set up." "There is nothing to set up," I answer. "But wecannot get you into an 'Absorption Center' in so little time," hesays. "That is ok, I do not want to go to any Absorption Center," Isay. "Well, ok, but we cannot get you into a Hebrew language ulpan inso little time," he says." "That is ok," I say, "I already speakHebrew fluently." "Well, ok, but we cannot help you find a job in solittle time," he says." "That is ok, I already have a job there," sayI. "But we do not have time to help you find an apartment in whichto live," he says. "That is ok, I will go rent my own apartment, justas I do here in Ohio, thank you very much," I say. "Well, in thatcase, if everything is taken care of, what are you doing here?" heasks. "I just need a form from you so I can buy a one-way El Alticket," I say. Thus endeth my "absorption" preparation.

Anyhow, I arrive at Lod airport on Jan. 19, the only immigrant onmy flight, during a month that held a record for the low number ofpeople immigrating to Israel. The local Ministry of Absorptionoffices in the airport send someone to the gate to conduct me to their"absorption" offices, meaning the place where I get an ID card. I amalso offered tea and stale bread and margarine. My suitcases wereleft worryingly back next to the luggage belt.

"Ok," say I, "I am ready to head for Haifa." "No, not yet, wecannot send off a driver and a taxi to take you to Haifa until we havesome additional immigrants to share the ride, so you have to wait forthe next flight to come in." "I would rather pay for the taxi myselfand get going," say I. "No, you cannot, it is against regulations."So we wait for two more flights to arrive, on which there are noimmigrants at all. Finally I announce I am jet lagged and do not feelgood so I am leaving.

At that point they call out the Ministry of Immigration driver,himself a relatively new immigrant from Soviet Georgia. "Where to,"he asks. "To Haifa," say I. "Haifa, where is Haifa? How do we getthere?" the driver asks the fellow who just got off the plane. "Iwill show you," say I.

And off we go to Haifa. As we get close, he asks where I needinside the city. The Zion Hotel, say I, having reserved a $30 pernight dive back in the era many years before the internet. "How do weget there," asks the old-veteran of a driver. "Beats me," says thenew arrival, "Can you ask those people standing on the sidewalk wherethe hotel is?" "I can't," says the driver, "My Hebrew is not goodenough. But you speak Hebrew fine so you should go over and askthem." (I later hear horror stories of new immigrants from Canadawho drove around Beer Sheba for 3 hours aimlessly cause their Ministryof Absorption driver spoke no Hebrew.)

Eventually we find the hotel, which today has been converted intoan office building for municipal welfare services. I know that,because I went back to visit it today. After I check in, I ask if Ican get something to eat. I get more tea, stale bread and margarine.But the TV is on in the dining room, showing the news on the onesingle Israeli TV channel that operates, which broadcasts only inblack and white so that Israelis will not spend money on color TVsets. I sit back and watch. The Begin government that very eveninghas announced the appointment of a new Minister of Finance, YoramAridor. And Aridor is being interviewed about what his new policieswill be. He plans to expand money printing while freezing theexchange rate and flooding Israel with new cheap imported consumergoods to buy off the public that is sick of the rising inflation. Irun to the front desk. "Call my taxi back," I say after watchingAridor, "I want him to take me back to the airport!" "Sorry, he hasgone," says the clerk.